In 1918 an application was made to the War Office for a captured gun. This was approved in 1919 along with a design for a war memorial. The memorial was erected in Thatcham Broadway and unveiled to the public on Armistice Day 1920. Designed by Sir Charles Nicholson of London it stands 17 feet tall, was made from Doulting stone and has a hexagonal base. On the front of the cross appears the following inscription:
“To the glorious memory of the Men of Thatcham, who, serving in the Royal Navy and in the Army, gave their lives for their country in the Great War, 1914-1918.”
By the 1960s the memorial was in need of repair. At this time the decision was taken to resite the memorial at the Memorial Playing Fields on the A4. The first Remembrance event at the new location was held on 13th November 1966.
There were 108 names on the War Memorial when it was erected. Recent research uncovered several soldiers that were not included and so in 2018 a number of new names were added. Details of the soldiers and a tour of some of them can be found in the “Thatcham The Great War 1914-1918” and “A Tour of Thatcham Soldiers” publications, available from the Thatcham Town Council website as PDF’s.
War Memorial Gardening Group
The War Memorial Gardening Group meet at 10 am on the first Friday of the month. If you are interested in this group please contact the office.
